Device for supplying air into the interior of motor vehicles

ABSTRACT

A device for supplying air into the interior of motor vehicles has an air tank located below the air flow and a substantially horizontal dashboard cover having an edge extending beyond the dashboard toward the interior of the vehicle. The dashboard is provided with air outlets. The device is particularly characterized by two air flow conduits connecting the air tank with the interior of the vehicle. These conduits open into the interior with nozzles located below the edge of the switch board cover.

O Umted States Patent 1 1 [111 3,709,139 Behles 1 Jan. 9, 1973 54 DEVICEFOR SUPPLYING AIR INTO 3,329,078 7/1967 DeCastelet ..98/2.07 THEINTERIOR OF MOTOR VEHICLES 3,382,791 5/1968 Henry-Biabaud ..98/2.06

4 4 [75] Inventor: Franz G. Behles, Ingolstadt, Ger- 12/19 2 Hans 98/2 4x y FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Assigneel Audi Auto Union Akfien-1,210,949 10/1959 France ..98/2.4

gesellschaft, Ingolstadt, Germany [22] Filed; No 2 1969 PrimaryExaminerMeyer Perlin Assistant Examiner-W. C. Anderson [21] Appl 878400Att0rney-Richards & Geier [30] Foreign Application Priority Data [57]ABSTRACT Nov. 27, 1968 Germany ..P 18 11 286.2 A device for supplyingair into the interior of motor vehicles has an air tank located belowthe air flow and [52] U.S. Cl ..98/2.I6 a substantially horizontaldashboard cover having an [51] Int. Cl. ..B60h 1/24 edge extendingbeyond the dashboard toward the in- Field of Search terior of thevehicle. The dashboard is provided with air outlets. The device isparticularly characterized by References Clted two air flow conduitsconnecting the air tank with the interior of the vehicle. These conduitsopen into the UNITED STATES PATENTS interior with nozzles located belowthe edge of the 2,873,953 2/1959 Thorne ..98/2.07 X switch board cover.3,103,155 9/1963 Boylan et al ..98/40 A 3,319,560 5/1967 Schaaf ..98/40A 1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAH 9191s 3.705.139

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SHEET 3 0F 3 DEVICE FOR SUPPLYING AIR INTO THE INTERIOR F MOTOR VEHICLESThis invention relates to a device for supplying fresh air into theinterior of motor vehicles. The invention is particularly concerned withmotor vehiclesof the type having an air collecting tank below the airflow and a substantially horizontal dashboard cover having an edgeextending beyond the dashboard in the direction toward the interior, thedashboard being provided with air outlet openings.

In known ventilation devices of this type air flows out of the tank,through hose or conduits into a dashboard carrier having the shape of abox and from there is guided through defrosting nozzles or otherconduits to the windshield or to the side windows. Air flowing straightinto the interior of the vehicle through openings in the switch board isdirected by flaps located closely in front of the outlets. Airconducting sheets are located in the box-like dashboard carrier.

This construction presents a substantial resistance to the flowing airand provides comparatively little fresh air. The dashboard carrieroccupies a large amount of space, particularly as far as its height isconcerned, and in case of accidents, the flaps and the conducting sheetscan injure the passengers.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple device whichwill well aerate the interior of a vehicle without drafts.

Another object is to provide a physiologically correct and pleasantso-called wind cooling of passengers to which they can be exposed for along time.

Yet another object is to provide a construction of this type wherein therequired inserts of the switch board will not damage the passengers incase of accidents.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent in thecourseof the following specification.

in the accomplishment of the objectives of the present invention it wasfound desirable to connect the air tank under the air flow with theinterior of the vehicle by two conduits suitable for air flow which openinto the interior by nozzles located below the edges of the dashboardcover which project into the interior. Due to this construction, a greatdeal of air flowsfrom the air tank into the interior. The nozzles andthe lower edges of the dashboard cover are so shaped, while using theso-called Coanda effect, that the air flow is directed in such mannerthat a quickly flowing air current will not strike exposed parts of thebody, such as the head, the hands, the neck and the throat of the driverand his companion; thus sensitive parts of the human body arenotsubjected to the unpleasant feelingof local excessive cooling.

Furthermore, the curved portion with which the dashboard goes over intothe lower part of the nozzle, diminishes the danger of injury by theswitch board in case of an accident, since the extending edge of thedashboard cover which can be suitably shaped, will then lie upon thecurved portion so that the impact is received upon a comparatively largerounded surface with specifically smaller surface pressure.

A convex rounding of the extending edge of the dashboard cover can bejoined to the nozzle at the outlet of the flow conducting conduit intothe interior of the vehicle. Then the air current flowing through thenozzles into the interior is deflected after leaving the outlet by theconvex rounding of the dashboard cover and gets a direction which willhave no disturbing effect upon the passengers. Furthermore, the streamwill be widened in known manner after leaving the nozzle, it will slowup and will move through the interior of the vehicle with slower speed.Air will so flow through the interior that it will not be necessary anymore to use open windows which transmit disturbing sounds and causeuncontrollable flow directions and eddies. The construction andarrangement of conduits which facilitate the flow and the provision ofslots for the passage of air in the air tank at the location of thegreatest dynamic pressure in the car body make it possible to eliminatethe use of ventilating blowers. Thus the present invention produces amore simple construction and eliminates disturbing sounds produced byventilating blowers which can be 'regulated only with difficulty. On theother hand, if a blower is used, the described nozzle arrangement makespossible the airing of the interior even when the vehicle is standingstill.

Close to the steering wheel, that is in front of the driver, the outletof the nozzle can be followed, preferably within the range of thearmatures, by a concave round portion of the roof-like projectingdashboard eover having a retractile edge close to the nozzle opening.Thus the rounded portion of the instruments carrier will guide the aircurrent downwardly to the necessary extent, namely in the directiontoward the body of the driver. This edge with adjacent concave roundportion also improves the view of the armatures.

Thus a further feature of the present invention is the provision ofnozzles of a flow conducting conduit which are directed toward theinterior of the vehicle and which are located below the roof-likehorizontal edge of the dashboard cover projecting into the interiorabove the instruments and portions of the edge which are roundeddownwardly and which join it from both sides. The air current flowsaround the steering wheel and around the dressed top part of the body ofthe driver without touching his hands with an unpleasant sensation andwithout penetrating through his shirt sleeves around the wrists and thearms. The neck, the throat and the face of the driver are also locatedoutside of the range of the high speed aircurrent.

Thus the present invention supplies air throughout the entire width ofthe vehicle and without draft in a physiologically proper manner to thedriver and the person sitting next to him.

The nozzles, the cross sections of their openings and their outflowdirections provide a form of air stream and a distribution of its speedwhich are suitable for the endurance, comfort and the best so-calledwind cooling of a human being.

The air inlets of the air flow conduits are higher than the nozzles atthe ends of the conduits in the interior of the vehicle and thesenozzles are wider than the inlets. Thus each inlet can be tightly closedby a single simple flap. The air currents can be regulated by varyingtheir cross sections, although they enter the interior substantiallyalong the entire width of the dashboard. Furthermore, the nozzles can bearranged in two rows and the flaps can be so independently mounted thatthe air current directed toward the driver can be regulatedindependently of the air current directed to the person sitting next tohim.

The upper part of the conduit can be integral with the dashboard coverin a particularly simple manner and two rows of nozzles can be connectedby separate air flow conduits with the air tank.

The two rows of nozzles are preferably distributed over the entire widthof the dashboard and they trans mit a large amount of air into theinterior of the vehicle without draft. In case of accidents, there areno curved sheets, flaps or other parts with sharp edges which could bestruck by the passengers.

Furthermore, the two flow carrying conduits can be arranged below aconduit extending along the foot of the windshield and directing airinto frost removing nozzles of the windshield and side windows. Thelower portions of the two conduits can be component parts of thedashboard carrier.

Parts of the dashboard cover can also constitute intermediate wallsbetween the air outflow nozzles, thus eliminating conducting sheets,frames, casings or other parts heretofore used for the outlets of theair flow.

Finally, to improve the air flow in the conduits and to providedraft-free ventilation, parts of the dashboard cover can fill out theangle behind the rear substantially vertical wall of the conduit whichtransmits at will fresh air or warm air.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detaileddescription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,showing, by way of example only, a preferred embodiment of the inventiveidea.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dashboard;

FIG. 2 is a section along the line IIII OF FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section along the line III-III of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings show the windshield 1 of a vehicle. An aircollecting box 2 is located in front of the windshield and is connectedrearwardly with the dashboard carrier 3. An air flow conduit 4 (FIG. 2)connects the box 2 with the interior of the vehicle. The conduit 4extends below the edge 5 of the dashboard cover 6 which projects intothe interior. The conduit 4 opens into the interior with a nozzle 7. Aconvex rounded portion 8 of the edge 5 of the dashboard cover 6 islocated close to the nozzle 7. At the bottom the nozzle 7 has a roundportion 9 integral with the dashboard 10. Within the range of thesteering wheel above the speedometer and the clock, the dashboard coverextends like a roof over the plane of the dashboard and has a horizontaledge 11 extending into the interior of the vehicle (FIG. 3). Parts 12and 13 have rounded edges joining the edge 11 from below on both sides(FIG. 1).

Another air flow conduit 14 (FIG. 3) has a nozzle 15 located below theedge 11. Frames and discs of armatures, such as those of the speedometerare located below the nozzle 15. The upperpart of the nozzle 15 has aconcave rounded portion 16 with a sharp edge 17. The air inlet openings18 and 19 and the air flow conduits 4 and 14 (FIG. 2 and 3) are locatedlower than the outlet nozzles 7 and 15 provided at the ends of theconduits 4 and 14 and facing the interior of the vehicle. The outletnozzles 7 and 15 are also wider than the air inlet openings 18 and 19.

The dashboard cover 6 constitutes the upper portion of conduits 4 and14. The two conduits 4 and 14 are locate below a nduit 20 he e t d 10 hbase 0 the windshield. The c niiiiit 2 0 lias defih stlng nozzles 21 forthe windshield l. The lower portions of the two conduits 4 and 14 areparts of the dashboard carrier 3. Parts of the switch board cover 6 formintermediate walls between the outlet nozzles 7 and 15.

Angularly adjustable flaps 22 and 23 are used for closing the air inletopenings 18 and 19.

Iclaim:

1. In a motor vehicle having a plenum chamber, a dashboard and asubstantially horizontal dashboard cover having an edge extending intothe interior of the vehicle, a device for supplying air to the interiorof the vehicle, said device comprising two air conducting-conduits, eachof said conduits having an end constituting an inlet communicating withsaid chamber and an opposite end having the shape of a nozzle openinginto the interior of the vehicle, said edge having a convex roundedportion extending close to a nozzle of one of said conduits, saiddashboard cover having an upwardly extending roof-like portion having ahorizontal edge extending toward the interior of the vehicle and curveddownwardly extending side edges on opposite sides of said horizontaledge, the nozzle of the other one of said conduits being locateddirectly below said horizontal edge, said motor vehicle having aninstrument frame having a rounded portion constituting a part of thenozzle of the other one of said conduits, said horizontal edge having aconcave rounded portion and a sharp edge adjacent said rounded portion.

1. In a motor vehicle having a plenum chamber, a dashboard and asubstantially horizontal dashboard cover having an edge extending intothe interior of the vehicle, a device for supplying air to the interiorof the vehicle, said device comprising two air conducting conduits, eachof said conduits having an end constituting an inlet communiCating withsaid chamber and an opposite end having the shape of a nozzle openinginto the interior of the vehicle, said edge having a convex roundedportion extending close to a nozzle of one of said conduits, saiddashboard cover having an upwardly extending roof-like portion having ahorizontal edge extending toward the interior of the vehicle and curveddownwardly extending side edges on opposite sides of said horizontaledge, the nozzle of the other one of said conduits being locateddirectly below said horizontal edge, said motor vehicle having aninstrument frame having a rounded portion constituting a part of thenozzle of the other one of said conduits, said horizontal edge having aconcave rounded portion and a sharp edge adjacent said rounded portion.